Everybody's Got A Little Light Under The Sun

SpReAd the Love Gives Back Week 5…Oh Porter!

Are you all ever in for a treat this week!! Our good pal Guylty of the fabulous Guylty Pleasure has made a very special donation to SpReAd the Love Gives Back

a RAPS of your very own…

That’s right….it’s a coveted John Porter RAPS (that’s RAPortable Shrine for the uninitiated).

Just report a kindness given or received and you’ll be entered into a drawing for this beauty – complete with mini disco ball and candles. (I am soooo bummed about my organizer ineligibility on this one!!)

Well Guylty has convinced me to take part even though I am already the proud possessor of a shrine. So I’m taking my nephew, neice and their three little kids to the pantomime even though I really don’t like pantos…

Here are my kindnesses of the week (exclude me from raffle, though ;-)) – I lent my coveted cigarette lighter to a fellow addict 😉 Yeah, maybe it would’ve been more of a kindness to refuse. Then I helped a journalist friend find a suitable interviewee for her piece on the Armitage Army. Other kindness includes me going on a demo on behalf of the Irish public (against the introduction of water charges) – even though I am not eligible to vote in Ireland. Hm, I wonder whether that’s eligible as a kindness, though…

Thanks to an inconvenient squirrel yesterday, the Alaskan Malemute I’m currently petsitting for took off like a rocket leaving me facedown on the sidewalk with the lower part of me in a huge puddle of icy cold water that immediately soaked through my clothes. While I was struggling to get back on my feel, I saw a van go by, do a U-turn in the middle of the road and come back–the lady, whose name I don’t know, came back to see if she could help or call someone for me. She got out of her van and started toward me, but the dog growled and got in front of me so she couldn’t get by–I told her that I didn’t think Apple would hurt her, but the lady replied that she thought the dog was protecting me (too bad she didn’t think of that before she hauled me down on the ground!) But I have to thank that kind woman for coming to my aid and also the dog for thinking I needed to be protected. I’m not used to the kindness of strangers, but I feel like that small act was a true gesture of kindness and care for someone she didn’t know.

ok, my kindness of the week will come on friday, when I give one of my Hermitage-Badges to a very nice friend who will visit me so see the Hobbit. Sorry for my english, it was a very stressfull and exhausting day!

Guylty persuaded me to participate, even though I have a beloved Porter shrine. I gave my RA autograph at the LA premiere to my fellow fangirl. I already had two, so I wasn’t all that generous. I am going to disneyland tonight even though I can hardly move, because other people need me to drive. Heaven help me.

My adult son drove me downtown and then walked with me to my appointment yesterday. I was thrilled that he did because it was in a much iffier neighborhood than I thought and it was difficult to find besides. Then he took me to pick up my car. He did all this without complaining at all.

I have sorted through our front closet and once it stops snowing I have coats to drop off at VOA. so half of a good deed done 🙂

So, as many of you know, I”m currently making ends meet by substituting and the local high school keeps me very busy because I somehow manage high schoolers.

I had a 1 day job turn into 3 weeks. And she’s been in and out since then as well. Either way, I was back in her class last week and realized she was still behind on grading quizzes and a big test – 180 kids – in addition to their Comprehensive questions for the book. A HUGE stack, to be sure. (And yes, I had administered those tests too!) I emailed her, got her permission and proceeded to grade their quizzes and test (I had read the book with them) so all she had to do was enter grades.

360 papers in one day. While I administered ANOTHER quiz for her.

now for the kicker – I HATE grading papers. It’s why I became a music teacher. I just felt sorry for her!

I’m sharing two acts of kindness that I received. Last night I attended the LA “Hobbit: BOTFA” premiere with Kathy Jones. Not only did Kathy arrive at the event two hours before I did, which guaranteed us an amazing spot along the red carpet, she also gave me RA’s autograph!

A member of our leadership team at work is being bullied by a co-worker ( has been getting progressively worse for months ) she was really upset & crying about it at work this week so despite only having a short lunch break I went out & bought her a coke & a donut to remind her she has a friend who cares. She was so grateful and appreciative. It really brought a smile to her face.

I also have to report another act of immense kindness that I received from a member of a different group I belong to honoring Richard. I have not had a working laptop of my own for quite some time now–I was sharing a refurbished one with my roommate that proceeded to break down almost every other day. I couldn’t join in any of the usual activities of the group and was also unable to do a lot of things I just need to do on a daily basis for business reasons–this amazing lady made it possible for me to get a brand new laptop because she knew I had no way to afford one on my own. Yet another instance of the friends one gains through those who admire Richard Armitage for his kindness and unbelievable talent. Thank you again, my friend.

I made a special trip out of town last night to drop off my “international travel supplies” hoard to a friend who’s going to India… also gave her all my best travel tips so she can avoid losing her shirt in the marketplace (so to speak), eat the most amazing food, not get eaten by bugs, and have fun meeting local people. Oh! And, somewhat in the spirit of last week’s challenge, I gave her a little package with warm cuddly socks, an eye mask, an inflatable neck pillow, and earplugs for the flights there and back.

Basically, I wish I was going, so maybe this isn’t as much kindness as a rabid wish I was traveling with her. lol

OMG John Porter is my fav character…I was re-watching the Zimbabwe episode last night (and realized the guy he is sent to rescue/terminate (and ultimately save) also appeared in Miss Marie Lloyd as the singing narrator. Anyways, my kindness to report is that a total of 4 people I have worked with in the past, unbeknownest to me, recommended me to a business which hired me a month after I was laid off from my previous job which was fantastic as I am a single parent. I am very grateful to them.

Rather than take my boys’ old coats to the consignment shop, I’ve decided to give them to the school district’s homeless liaison. He mentioned the other day that he had a lot of requests for coats so I think that those kids could use them more than I could use the money.

just on the run, can we have the organisers participate on this draw too please? i think their initiative is lovely and it inspires all of us to more good things 🙂 i don’t think it is fair for them not to be part of the draw 🙂 xxx to them 🙂 ❤

Our friend and a staff member @ our church fell through the ceiling of our church sanctuary (35 – 40 feet) Saturday night. He is bruised internally and has a concussion, 6 cracked ribs, 2 broken vertebrae (no spinal cord injury) and is in unbearable pain w/ assurance from doctors that the pain will worsen. Needless to say, he will spend Christmas in hospital. My Prince is working six 12-hour days this week (yes, even Christmas day) so my week was going to be quiet and uneventful. But now I have the opportunity and the need to do something for our friend. His wife has given me permission to bring them a meal on Christmas day.